WORKSHOP ON BUSINESS

COMMUNICATION

TOPIC: - ROLE OF CRITICAL COMMUNICATIVE

STRATEGIES IN RESOLVING CONFLICTS

The most important thing in communication is hearing what

isn’t said.” – Peter Drucker

What is communication?
Communication is a Latin word which means ‘to share’. It is the sharing of
information between different people or individuals. It includes the sharing of
ideas, concepts, imaginations, behaviours and written content. Communication is
simply defined as the transfer of information from one place or person to another.
This transfer of information can be conducted in different ways.

Although communication is a simple process, yet showing complexity in some

aspects. Different ways of communication and the distances over which one is
required to transfer the information make the process complicated and
cumbersome.
Important elements of communication
There are three elements necessary to conduct a communication i.e. the sender, a
medium i.e. the platform over which information is conducted and a recipient.
The sender is the most involved person with a full understanding of that matter
which he wants to deliver. On the other hand, the receiver does not necessarily
know about the sender and/or the subject of information which the sender aims
to deliver to him.

Steps of communication
Technically speaking the communication process is split into three major steps.
This includes the thought, encoding and decoding. The thought is the subject of
information that exists in sender’s mind. When the sender transforms his
thoughts, ideas or concepts into verbal speech or a written message, then this is
known as encoding. Encoding refers to the encryption of ideas and thoughts from
the perspective of the sender. When the message is received by the receiver, the
recipient reads and understands it. The receiver may translate the given
information to better understand it. So, decoding refers to the interpretation of
information from the perspective of the receiver. When the receiver clearly
understands the information sent to him by the sender, two-way the
communication process ends here.

Communication can be a one-way or two-way process. When the information

conveyed by the sender is received by the recipient, this states for the completion
of a one-way process of communication. It is not necessary that the recipient must
or have to respond to the sender, but if the recipient formulates a message in reply
to sender’s message, then it becomes a two-way process of communication.
Media content is an example of one-way communication process, in which the
receiver is not required to respond back, but he only receives the information.
Types of communication
There are different kinds of information. The two major types are verbal
communication and non-verbal communication.

Verbal communication
Verbal communication is the sharing of information through speech. It includes
the information that people hear on radios, televisions, telephones, speeches and
interviews.

Effective verbal communication incorporates the use of interpersonal skills.

Factors that contribute to the effectiveness and efficiency of verbal
communication are as follows:
 the clarity of voice
 perception
 listening skills of the recipient.
Verbal communication, if it is conducted in a two-way loop, is usually based on
immediate responses. Verbal communication is also influenced by eye contact,
gestures and facial expressions. The hearing and understanding skills of recipient
help him understand the context of information and develops his responses
accordingly. Linguistics and the way of presenting information and thoughts to
build the impact of communication on the recipient.

Non-verbal communication
Written or spoken words are not the only means for sharing a message. When
there is no use of words, and the recipient understands what the sender is saying,
then it is known as non-verbal communication. Non-verbal communication is
conducted through eye contact, postures, gestures, facial
expressions, chronemics and haptics.
Visuals are also an excellent way to represent any information. Use of pictures,
symbols and graphs can help a person communicate his thoughts and ideas
effectively and efficiently. Even hairstyles, clothing of a person and how a person
behaves convey information regarding his nature, mood and intentions. People
use architectures, and different colours and textures for home and office surfaces
to represent their interests and preferences.

Written communication
Written communication includes the kind of information or thoughts transfer
where the encoding of a message is done in written form. The message may only
be written in words, or it may include different symbols, or sometimes even
machine codes which will facilitate communication. Written communication is
influenced by writing and representation skills of an individual. Written message
is developed while taking the audience into consideration. Different audiences
generally have different levels of perceptive abilities. Different kinds of messages
require different techniques of writing. Like an analytical report is written in a
way which is greatly different to a CV or an essay.
Communication purposes
Communication serves as a mean for connecting people and places.
Communication has expanded to relate to diverse perspectives of thoughts and
information. It can be used to share different kinds of information in different
ways.

Formal communication
Formal communication is meant to establish a strong business and work
relationships among the people. Businesses and organisation use formal
communication to communicate more effectively with their intended clients and
employees. These includes meetings and interviews. Communication conducted
employing coded words are also referred to as formal communication. This
includes the coded information conducted between the defence personnel or
engineers.

Common Barriers to Effective Communication

Personal barriers
Communication which is carried between individuals is greatly influenced by
one’s capability of speaking and writing. If the message is not written or spoken
well o is not clear, it may make the message and its meaning ambiguous for the
receiver. The translation or conversion of written message can be misconceived
as different by different recipients and they will interpret a certain message on the
basis of their individual perceptions and knowledge. The receiver may face
difficulty in understanding the information, and there are high possibilities that
he may conceive wrong information. So, a message must be written in such a way
and with words that the intended recipient can easily understand.

Systemic barriers
When communication involves use of electronic and digital means for
communication, the machine and network errors can affect the effectiveness of
communication. Usually, if there is a problem encountered, there will be an
unwanted delay in information.

However, the challenges for sharing information or thoughts over time have
majorly been resolved, but still, there are some barriers that hinder the
communication process.

 The use of jargon. Over-complicated, unfamiliar and/or technical terms.

  Emotional barriers and taboos. Some people sometimes do find it difficult
to express their emotions and some topics may be completely 'off-limits' or
taboo. Taboo or difficult topics may include, but are not limited to, politics,
religion, disabilities (mental and physical), sexuality and sex, racism and
any opinion that may be seen as unpopular.
 Lack of attention of receiver or sender, interest, distractions, or irrelevance
to the receiver.
 Differences in perception and viewpoint.
 Physical disabilities such as hearing problems or speech difficulties.
 Physical barriers to non-verbal communication. They me due to generally
not being able to see the non-verbal cues, gestures, posture and general
body language can make communication less effective. Phone calls, text
messages and other communication methods that mainly rely on
technology are often less effective than face-to-face communication.
 Communication can also be affected by language differences and the
difficulty in understanding unfamiliar accents.
 Expectations and prejudices which may generally lead to false assumptions
or stereotyping. People often hear what they want to hear rather than what
is actually said and jump to incorrect conclusions.
 Cultural differences. The norms of social interaction among people vary
greatly in different cultures, as do the way in which emotions are
expressed. For example, the concept of personal space generally does vary
between cultures and between different social settings.

What is conflict?

Conflict is a difference of ideas or opinions. In a team which consists of people

from different backgrounds and with different skills and experience, it is likely
that you will experience some form of conflict.
Conflict between people is a fact of life – and it’s not necessarily a bad thing. In
fact, it may be the case that relationship with frequent conflict may be healthier
than one with no observable conflict. Conflicts usually occur at all levels of
interaction – be it at work, among friends, within families and between
relationship partners. When conflict occurs, the relationship may be weakened or
strengthened. Thus, we can say conflict is a critical event in the course of a
relationship. Conflict can sometimes cause resentment, hostility and perhaps the
ending of the relationship. If conflict is handled well, however, conflict can be
productive – leading to deeper understanding, mutual respect and closeness. Now
whether a relationship is healthy or unhealthy depends not so much on the number
of conflicts between participants, but on how the conflicts are resolved.

Sometimes people try to shy away from conflict, and the reasons for this are
numerous. They may say feel that their underlying anger may go out of control if
they open the door to conflict. Thus, they may see conflict as an all-or-nothing
situation (either they avoid it altogether or they end up in an all-out combative
mode, regardless of the real severity of the conflict). Or people may find it
difficult to face conflict because they feel inadequate in general or in the
particular relationship. They may find it difficult to positively assert their views
and feelings. Children who grow up surrounded by destructive conflict may, as
adults, determine never to participate in discord. In such situation, these people
may never have learned that there are effective, adaptive ways to communicate
in the face of conflict.

People generally adopt a number of different styles in facing conflict. First, it is

very common to see a person avoid or deny the existence of conflict.
Unfortunately, what happens is the conflict sometimes lingers on in the
background during interaction between the participants and creates the potential
for further tension and even more conflict. A second response style is the one in
which one person is getting mad and blaming the other person. This occurs when
a person mistakenly equates conflict with anger. This stance usually in many
cases does nothing to resolve the conflict and in fact it only serves to increase the
degree of friction between the two participants by amplifying defensiveness. A
third way in which some people use to resolve conflict is by using power and
influence to win at the other’s expense. They welcome conflict because it allows
their competitive impulses to emerge, but they fail to understand that the conflict
is not really resolved since the “loser” will continue to harbour resentment.
Similarly, some people quite often do appear to compromise in resolving the
conflict, but they subtly influence the other person in the process, and this, again,
continues the conflict between the two parties and compromises the trust between
them. There are better ways to handle interpersonal conflict.

Conflict can be either

 a positive or
 negative process

for a team.

Positive Conflict:

A difference of ideas, opinions and views can be very productive in a team

environment. It can encourage creative solutions to problems and generate
innovation, variety and increased communication.
Positive conflict may also clear the air between team members, raise issues for
clarification and resolution and improve relationships.

Negative Conflict:

In some instances, varied opinions are not productive. This is generally because
the conflict is not communicated and dealt with appropriately.

When conflict is handled ineffectively it may result in:

 Team members becoming frustrated

 Competition between team members and the development of a win-lose
environment
 Increased stress levels and low morale
 Low levels of job satisfaction and increased staff turnover
 Resentment between team members and the inability to work together
effectively
 Ongoing anger between team members and outbursts of anger
 Poor communication within the team members and the development of a
gossip culture and cliques within the team

How we respond to the conflict?

We as a human being have emotional, cognitive and physical responses to

conflict. These reactions are important windows into our experience during
conflict, for they frequently tell us more about what is the true source of threat
that we perceive. Also, by understanding our thoughts, feelings and physical
responses to conflict, we may get better insights into the best potential solutions
to the situation.

 Emotional responses: These are those feelings we generally experience in

conflict, ranging from anger and fear to despair and confusion. Emotional
responses are more often than not misunderstood, as people tend to believe
that others feel the same as they do. Thus, we learn that differing emotional
responses are confusing and, at times, threatening.

 Cognitive responses: These cognitive responses are our ideas and

thoughts about a conflict, often present as inner voices or internal observers
in the midst of a situation. Through sub-vocalization i.e., self-talk we come
to understand these cognitive responses.
 Physical responses: These responses generally play an important role in
our ability to meet our needs in the conflict. They include extreme or
heightened stress, bodily tension, increased perspiration, tunnel vision,
shallow or accelerated breathing, nausea, and rapid heartbeat. These
responses are quite similar to those which we experience in high-anxiety
situations, and they may be managed through stress management
techniques. Establishing a pleasant environment in which emotions can be
managed is more likely if the physical response is addressed effectively.

What is the role of communication in conflict management?

We have understood that the dissimilarity in the ideas and opinions of individuals
result in a conflict. One often needs to adjust with each other to some extent to
avoid conflicts and better relations. Conflicts and fights must and should be
prevented to avoid its adverse consequences like stress, anxiety and unnecessary
tensions. Communication has a big role to play in conflict management. It
has been observed that more often than not poor communication always
results in misunderstandings and eventually conflicts. Our communication has
to be clear and precise to avoid conflicts. First yourself be very clear what you
intend to convey to the other individual. The thoughts should be carefully put into
sensible and relevant words for the others to understand well. Avoid use words
which might hurt the sentiments of others and avoid using derogatory sentences.
Don’t use too complicated terminologies as the other person might not understand
it well.

Be very clear and straightforward what you expect from the other person.
Don’t always expect the other person to understand everything on his own.
Haphazard thoughts not only add on to confusions but also result in displeasure
and disagreements. If you want to meet your team member at 9 in the morning at
the conference hall, please remember to mention the correct timings along with
the venue as well as the agenda so that the participants come thoroughly prepared.
Don’t just communicate for the sake of it.

Don’t just depend on verbal communication, but also prefer communication

through email keeping each and every member in the loop. Never ignore
anyone just because you do not like him. It is generally observed that conflict
among individuals arises when they feel neglected or left out. Transparency is
essential at all levels for better understanding and avoiding conflicts.

Communication should not be done with members separately but must be

on a common platform so that everyone gets the same picture. Master the art
of writing emails. Select the correct font, style and be careful about the content
such that the mail is self-explanatory. Disagreements among people can arise
anytime so make sure that the superiors are always available to the subordinates.
At workplaces, the hierarchy should not be too complicated as it only adds to the
confusions. People do not understand whom to contact and start fighting among
themselves only. At workplaces, employees must be demotivated to interfere in
each other’s works and criticize others.

Never be loud and always be very careful about your pitch and tone. Be polite
and convincing. Make your point very clear but do not shout on others as he might
feel bad and it might go against you. Presentations, seminars, speeches and
opinions must be delivered at a noise free zone so that the information hits the
eardrums of the recipients instantly and creates the desired impact. Question
answer round should necessarily be kept at the end in the presentations and people
must not jump in between with their questions. It seriously offends the speaker
and might result in a fight. Be a little patient and wait for your turn to speak. Be
a good listener.

An individual should never assume things on his own and overreact on petty
issues. Every individual has the right to express his views and one must first listen
to what the other person has to say.

When two individuals are interacting ans sharing their opinions with each other,
try not to speak in between unless and until required. Always meet the other
person with a warm smile. Avoid being rude and harsh. Don’t just start shouting
even if you do not agree to the other person, sit with him face to face and make
him understand his mistakes. Once you are done with your part of
communication, do cross check with the other person whether he has received the
correct message or not. Wrong messages lead to confusions and people lose their
trust on each other. Make sure you are very clear and transparent with your
communication. Think twice before you speak and never offend others.

Always learn to keep a check on your emotions and make sure your
communication is impressive and relevant for effective conflict management.

These communication skills will help you resolve conflict. They are as follow:
 Create and Maintain a Supportive Atmosphere
Try to see things from the employees’ perspective. You must both take
the time to listen attentively to what each other has to say, and find out
what it is the other person needs.
 Be Confident
State the problem as you understand it. Voice your needs clearly while
still remaining open to what others have to say and what their needs may
be.
 Listen Actively
Focus on what the other person has to say. Make sure your body language
is open and receptive. Know when to be silent, let the other person finish
completely. Try not to focus on your arguments while the other person is
speaking. To clarify what he or she is saying, try summarizing or
paraphrasing. This way you’ll ensure a better understanding of his or her
point of view.
 Probe for More Information
Ask questions to drill down deeper into what the other person is saying.
Ask for clarification in a way that will foster open dialogue. Discuss your
differences openly. This way you may reveal an underlying issue or the
true source of the problem.
 Look for Non-verbal Clues
The other person is speaking to you non-verbally as well as verbally. Be
aware of his or her gestures, tone of voice, nervous habits, etc. Work on
fine-tuning your ability to read non-verbal clues; as a manager, you may
have to pick up on the subtle signs and respond to them.
 Seek Common Ground
When confronted with two opposing views, inquire about the underlying
values and if appropriate, integrate the two conflicting positions rather
than demand one of the parties to change his or her view.

 Focus on What Your Opponent is Saying Instead of

Planning Your Rebuttal
Just because you’re in the middle of a conflict doesn’t mean that lines of
communication should break down. The worst disservice you can do to
your opponent (and to yourself) in a conflict is to stop listening. Rather
than tuning out your opponent’s reasoning in order to plan your rebuttal,
 focus on what he or she has to say. Empathy goes a long way in conflict
resolution and trying to understand your opponent’s point of view might
give you valuable insight into how best to resolve the problem so both
parties are happy.
 Avoid the Blame Game
Throwing around blame will only make conflict worse. No matter who did
what, everyone involved bears responsibility in making sure the conflict is
resolved maturely. Avoid placing blame and the conflict will get resolved
that much more quickly.

 Remember that Leadership and Conflict Resolution Go Hand-in-

Hand
Don’t fear conflict, embrace it. You might think avoiding conflict is the
way to make your business run smoothly but great leaders know that you
can’t escape conflict, so you might as well learn how best to manage and
resolve it. Just as healthy fighting is crucial to a great romantic relationship,
understanding how to manage conflict in the workplace instead of stifling
it is key to fostering a healthy work environment for employees.
 Attack the Problem, Not the Person
When dealing with conflict, it’s essential to remember that you are
frustrated at the issue at hand and not at the person involved. When venting
your frustration, focus your irritation towards the problem, not the person.

 View Conflict as Opportunity

Conflict occurs because there is a flaw in the system or a breakdown in
communication. Addressing the issues behind any given conflict is
essential to ensuring that your business flows smoothly and everyone
 communicates effectively. Avoid conflict for the sake of conflict and
choose your battles wisely. The conflicts that arise after that will facilitate
positive professional growth.
 Take a time out
Nothing gives one so much advantage over another as to remain always
cool and unruffled under all circumstances. Though it might be your
natural reaction to want to resolve things on the spot, sometimes taking a
breather is the best thing you can do when managing a terse situation.
There’s a time for resolving conflict and that time is most certainly not
when tensions (and tempers) are running high. Call for a time out and let
everyone cool off a bit. You’ll probably be surprised at just how quickly
things get resolved when you remove fickle emotions from the equation.
 Communication verbally and non-verbally
Negotiations can only take place when communication is made to another
person that a conflict has been identified and the communicator wishes to
settle it. Effective communicator is the one that can facilitate dialogue
while communicating. The personality indexes and emotions play a very
important role in verbal communication while other characteristics are
associated with non-verbal communication. For instance, the
communicator’s use of gestures will ensure active participation by
complementing speech with signs, usually hands and body movements,
facial expressions and occasional unique vocal sounds, constant eye
contact which refers to “eye magic” as a way of sustaining and connecting
interest and attention of the parties involved in conflicts. It is always very
important to note that non-verbal codes are somehow culture-bound or
based. This implies that mediators should be well-versed in the cultural
values and practices of the parties in conflicts as regards the use of non-
verbal communication.
 Practice Empathy

Empathy refers to a person’s ability to understand feelings through verbal

and nonverbal messages, provide emotional support to people when
needed, and understand the links between others’ emotions and behaviours.
According to the Society for Human Resource Management, showing
empathy toward your employees is key to establishing a trusting
relationship. It’s also a leadership skill that most managers struggle with:
Only 40 percent demonstrate empathy effectively.
During an employee-manager conflict, it’s important for managers to
acknowledge the employee’s feelings and understand where they’re
coming from.
 Focus on the Behavior
During conflict resolution, never focus your words on the person. If you’re
mediating a workplace behavior issue, for example, your focus should be
on the behavior, and not the person responsible for the behavior.
A person can choose to behave in any way they wish, even if it’s not
reflective of their personal beliefs or attitudes. Don’t enter a discussion
calling into question the employee’s values or beliefs.
You might say, for example, “The behavior in today’s meeting was
unacceptable,” instead of, “Your behavior in today’s meeting was
unacceptable.”
 Know When to Involve HR
Managers should exhaust their conflict resolution toolkit and rely on the
organization’s in-place policies and procedures first before involving HR.
If there’s a conflict about workplace behavior, for example, the manager
should refer to the employee handbook or code of conduct, then seek to
resolve conflicts as best as they can within the framework of what’s
expected in the organization.
 If a manager is expecting an employee to make decisions autonomously
and get work done more independently, but the employee is being told what
to do all the time, refer to the company’s value statement. Note that, within
it, it says that the organization places a high value on innovation and self-
sufficiency. That takes the personal issue out of it.
It’s also important to note whether the conflict is ongoing and not just a
one-time situation. Make sure you document these conversations and, if
necessary, reach out to HR to draw up a performance improvement plan.
If a simple conversation isn’t going to solve the problem, get HR involved
so they can help guide and craft an appropriate plan, and set timelines for
expectations.
Of course, if the conflict is one in which a policy has been violated
egregiously—like an employee insulting another employee—then HR
should be involved immediately.
Conflict resolution is one of the hardest competencies to find and develop
in managers and leaders because it’s not fun, and people avoid it. But to be
a highly successful manager or leader, you need to be able to get in there,
not shy away from conflict, and work toward a proper solution.

Conflict is an unavoidable facet of problem solving. Learning to deal with

conflicts in the workplace is essential for anyone looking to communicate
effectively with co-workers and superiors. Utilize these tips and you might be
surprised to find just how quickly conflicts are resolved when everyone involved
keeps a cool head and works together to solve the problem.

Active listening

A good mediator displays effective listening skills. He inculcates the habit of

wanting to listen to people more than engaging in talking nineteen to dozen i.e.
talking too much. When a mediator becomes an active listener, he or she will be
able to identify the fear, suspicion, lies, truths, interests, understanding, doubts,
desires, feelings, distrust, misinterpretations, misinformation as well as other
pretensions of the parties involved in the conflict situations. In this way, he or she
can ask questions to clarify issues with the speaker and ensures that the other
party is not in doubt or has heard the point. Mediators normally show their
understanding on the matters of the two parties’ perspective through comments
and nonverbal reactions. In fact, mediator shows good communication skills such
as listening and being able to paraphrase and summarise what they have heard
without distorting the main facts or messages.

Case study of Infosys

As we begin to consider specific strategies for managing conflict, it is appropriate

and useful to revisit the decision-making process model. First is Situation
Definition in which the situation is investigated and clarified. Next, there is
Situation Decision Generation where the team identifies and accumulates
alternatives. The Ideas to Action phase is next, when the team defines and agrees
on criteria for evaluating and selecting among the alternatives. Following the
Ideas to Action phase is the Decision Action Plan phase in which the team
determines how and when to implement the selected alternative. Next, Decision
Evaluation Planning phase provides a learning opportunity for the team through
the examination of lessons learned relative to the executed decision and its results.
Decision Evaluation Planning also involves the development of plans for
improvement in the future. Finally, Evaluation of Outcome and Process looks at
quality of decision outcomes. This decision process model provides an excellent
foundation for any strategy of conflict management. The most common elements
in any conflict management strategy are the early recognition of the conflict and
keeping attention focused between the conflicted parties. Both of these elements
are important for the management of either functional or dysfunctional conflict.
The demarcation between functional and dysfunctional conflict is neither clear
nor precise. The distinguishing criterion is how the conflict affects project
performance, not how individuals feel, as long as the disagreement furthers the
objectives of the project. Then the conflict is functional. On this basis then, all
approaches to conflict management must seek early identification of the conflict,
early evaluation of the impact of the conflict on the project, and specific plans for
encouraging functional conflict or managing dysfunctional conflict.

List of five strategies for managing dysfunctional conflict provides a good

summary of approaches.

 Mediation. Based on a search for common ground, this strategy provides

an opportunity for negotiation between the parties in conflict. The goal is
to identify multiple possible alternatives and to mutually select one that is
acceptable to all involved parties and in the interest of project objectives.
This strategy is based on the confrontation approach described earlier.

 Arbitration. This strategy requires the project manager to provide a safe

and productive opportunity for the conflicted parties to air their
 disagreements. After careful attention and fully listening to each party, the
project manager should formulate, define, and provide a solution to the
parties. This strategy is based on the forcing approach to conflict described
earlier. Arbitration can often be effectively combined with mediation by
forcing an initial conflict solution and then allowing the parties to negotiate
to a more mutually acceptable alternative.

 Control. Based on the smoothing approach described earlier, this

strategy seeks to bring tension and emotions down to a level at which
productive discussion and negotiation can occur. Humour is often an
effective tool, as well as the use of temporary breaks or time-outs in the
discussions between conflicted parties.

 Acceptance. The decision can be made that the conflict consequences

are negligible relative to project objectives and, therefore, require no
action. This strategy carries significant risk of later escalation and should
be combined with specific plans for monitoring the situation to ensure that
the conflict remains at an acceptable level.

 Elimination. Finally, the elimination strategy is reserved for those

conflicts that have become so dysfunctional that the project can no longer
tolerate any impacts from them. Often a last resort, elimination involves
the removal of the conflicted parties from involvement with the project.
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